It's the screening of "Of Wind and Waves: The Life of Woody Brown" at 8 p.m. at the Community United Methodist Church at 777 Miramontes St. in Half Moon Bay.
This 63-minute film captures the remarkable life of surfing legend Woody Brown: inventor of the modern catamaran, author, record-holding glider, surfer who debuted on Hawaii's 25-foot waves in the 1940s - and a man who still practices his own spirituality and continues a full life at 95.
 Woody Brown displays the same zestful enthusiasm and love of surfing that has carried him through the 95 years of his life profiled in "Of Wind and Waves: The Life of Woody Brown" to be shown Friday in Half Moon Bay. |
Filmmaker Brown (no relation) will be present for a question-and-answer session following Friday's screening. Woody, he said, couldn't be coaxed away from his Maui home that he shares with third wife Macrene Canaveral and a 17-year-old son.
The two Browns keep in touch, having forged a close friendship over the making "Of Wind and Waves." That was a time marked by midnight philosophical conversations, Woody Brown's boundless energy and poignant personal moments. It ultimately triumphed: the film was presented at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival in May and came away with an Inspiration Award.
But it's about a life that would make a documentary even without the surfing. Born into a wealthy family in New York, Woody Brown struck out on his own to become a glider pilot - taught as he was by his buddy, Charles Lindbergh.
Tragedy hit when he was still young, when his wife died while giving birth to their son. Devastated, he left both the infant boy, Jeffrey, and his wife's young daughter, Jenny, whom he had adopted, with relatives for decades. He did not develop a relationship with them until, while filming "Of Wind and Waves," David Brown instigated reunions that serve as the film's emotional pinnacle.
The first of the two reunions, in 2002 with then-63-year-old Jeffrey, took place in Half Moon Bay, at the Ono Hawaiian Grill restaurant. The second, with then 75-year-old Jenny, took place in Maui in 2004.
"I was nervous. I didn't know what would happen" said David Brown by phone last week from his Brisbane home. "But it turned out to be very healing for all involved. It was a privilege for me to play the role of catalyst."
In July 2006, he told the Maui News, "The whole family's story is a real lesson in aloha and the healing power of love."
The film also touches on less-dramatic aspects of Woody Brown's life, like his invention of the modern catamaran. He drew from ancient Polynesian double-hull canoes, to make them faster and lighter.
But he refused to accept money for that, David Brown said, leaving that to Hobie Arlen, inventor of the Hobie Cat. "He didn't care about licensing or patenting," the filmmaker said. "He doesn't care about material things or money."
Woody Brown made his living taking tourists on catamaran trips in Hawaii and farming on Maui, where he grew vegetables and fruit.
He is also a successful author, with one published book on spirituality, "The Gospel of Love" and a second with a working title of "The Greatest Story Never Told."
His own credo is a gentle one. "He really does practice a philosophy of unconditional love ... a warm, gentle, loving spirit," David Brown said.
The two Browns encountered each other when the filmmaker was creating the 1999 documentary "Surfing for Life," which profiled 10 aging surfers, including Woody. "We felt he was the most interesting surfer in the film and decided to do a full-length documentary," David Brown said.
He should know what makes a good film. He is a two-time Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker who, over a 35-year career, has produced, written or directed more than 80 productions and 10 broadcast documentaries on a range of topics.
His films have been shown on PBS, NBC, CBS, the BBC and in 16 countries, and brought him more than 85 international awards.
He produced three film festivals on nuclear and environmental issues and works as a producer, director and cameraman. And he teaches documentary filmmaking at the University of California, Berkeley Extension and City College of San Francisco.
But none of it prepared him for Woody Brown, "He would talk about what was on his mind, including spiritual philosophy, until I was tired," the filmmaker said of his time with the surfer. "Then, in the morning, he would pick up where he left off."
As they filmed, at one point taking in four islands in six days, "He got stronger and stronger as we went along," David Brown said.
He contacted Woody on his 95th birthday, Jan. 7. "He is amazing," he said. "He puts a positive face on every part of his life and continues to do so at 95."
For more information about the Coastside Film Society, visit hmbfilm.org.
•
AT A GLANCE
What: "Of Wind and Waves: The Life of Woody Brown"
Where: Community United Methodist Church, 777 Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay
When: 8 p.m. Friday, March 9
Cost: $6 donation
Information: hmbfilm.org
w